Better is One Day

“ So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.” 1 Corinthians 3: 7-9

As I stare at this computer screen, 8 days after my last opportunity to blog, I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving for innumerable ways we were blessed this past week. First, and least important, I’ve been much healthier the past several days than I had been previously. God is an amazing healer, according to His time. His time. That was a lesson I was learning while spending a great deal of time in bed for several days. Difficult lessons, but I was unpleasantly reminded time and time again that I am truly nothing. Without Christ through me, I am of no worth and God does not NEED me. Instead, He has graciously provided me with an opportunity to be used, for my benefit, not for His. At our women’s Bible study this week, we discussed humility in depth. Humility is something that we ought to clothe ourselves with daily, but requires a minute-by-minute decision to remain “dressed.”

            Since I mentioned the women’s study, I am blown away by the way the Lord is working through this small group of women. This week, we had 9 women attend and in a short 4 weeks, so much growth is already evident. The book “Seeking Him” encourages one to step outside of her “comfort zone” and share areas of her life that need to be revived. It is not an easy task and I say that, coming from a contrasting culture that enjoys talking openly, especially as women. However, in the past week, almost every Cree woman shared something personal about her life. We have seen prayer requests from the previous week answered, Cree women praying out loud in front of others, many tears shed as we discuss their pains, and one woman (who has up until this week remained very quiet and closed off) say that this book is really touching her heart. We are only on Lesson 3 of a 12-lesson study. I’m pretty sure I should stick around, you know, so I can go through the next 9 weeks with them.

            Also, this week, the Lord continues to increase the attendance at summer Bible camp. We have had 14 three-to-five year-olds regularly. This group of children pulls every heartstring imaginable. In our 6-8 year-old group, we had 28 students show up!!! Although we were gravely unprepared, their energy and excitement was contagious. We will never claim to have remained in control for the entire session, but overall, we survived with smiles on our faces! Our 9-10 year-olds are learning exactly what it means when we ask them to find a particular chapter and verse in the Bible. They have learned a lot about Daniel’s life and what happened when he was first overtaken by King Nebuchadnezzar, aka “Neba-neba-neba what is his name again?”  It is so much fun to encourage these young boys to desire character like Daniel’s: courageous, intelligent, faithful, and yet, respectful. Similarly, we have encouraged the girls to seek Daniel’s traits in a future husband. Additionally, it has been enjoyable to teach about him because they are still asking if I wrote the book of Daniel and if I am in it. Obviously, “Danielle” is not a popular Cree name. They say “Daniel” in a very similar manner and have been calling me “Daniel” for the last month. Although our 11+ group started out slow, and by slow I mean, non-existent as we could not even bribe the children that age to show up, this week we formed a group! Actually, on Thursday, we had 9 students age 11 or older. Darian, one of our students said, “Do you know why I come here instead of going somewhere else?” Of course we didn’t know, as his answer choices were perhaps endless, but he continued with “At other camps, all they do is play games and eat snacks, they never read the Bible, and that is why I come here.” Truthfully, I wanted to either have the child breathalyzed or I was convinced he was sleep deprived, but nonetheless, he dependably showed up the following session. While we were playing a game, Darian walked around the Chapel with the Bible we had given him and read most of the morning. It is the Lord that makes the plant grow, and He did just that. This morning (Sunday) at the Chapel, Darian gave his life to Christ. What a joy it was to witness his excitement and his smile as he walked around the church telling everyone that he just became a Christian. God is so good!

            On Friday night, Kristen, Alaina, and I, planned a “Girls Night.” Originally, it was going to be a few girls around the ages of 11-13. However, the girls had a bigger, more exciting event planned and they were kind enough to fill us in the day of the “party.” Including the 3 of us, and Brittany (a native young adult living on the island with a beautiful heart and a desire to support the youth of the community) we had a total of 17. Wild, loud, crazy, and wonderful. We made pizzas and cookies and played games (the favorite being “dark-tag”. Dark tag is simply turning all of the lights off in the basement and chasing one another, screaming as shrill as their lungs would allow).  Toward the end of the evening, a vicious thunderstorm came through. It was hilarious and ever sweet to listen to us all scream when the lightning struck and the thunder roared. We all cuddled up on the couches and waited it out, because in Moose Factory, when it rains, it lasts 15 minutes, unlike at home. When I took the girls home that night, I was able to have a very real conversation with one of the older girls. After Liola told me that she is still sad everyday because Alexandrya was one of her best friends, I told her that at home, we do not have a high suicide rate. I asked her for her opinion about what happens on the island. She told me that the youth believe there is a “suicide ghost” that tells them what to do. They hear voices. She also said that she felt the teenagers on the island (those older than 14) are into the wrong things and influence the younger youth. She said, “Alexandrya grew up too fast.” My heart breaks for this community, even when the work of the Lord is very present; they are waiting in the chains of the evil one.

            This evening (Sunday) the Lord moved again through the Chapel. I cannot use adequate words to describe how encouraged I was by tonight’s service (and honestly, by so many of the older believers on the island). Tonight, I sung 3 praise songs, accompanied by Elmer (one of the natives on the guitar). I chose “Better is One Day” because I feel like I’ve learned exactly what the song describes. “Better is one day in Your house and in Your courts than thousands elsewhere,” illustrates how we ought to feel about living in the midst of His will. I understand, more than ever before, that there is a perfect plan for my life and for the lives of anyone willing to surrender and submit their own lives to the Lord. He loves His children and provides for them in ways that we will never understand with our worldly eyes, but I am certain that those He calls, He also equips (and carves out the perfect path). I am living proof that the Lord does not call the equipped, but He equips the called. I also sung “Lead Me to the Cross” and “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.” Allan Jolly spoke this evening and I could not have been more overjoyed in his message. Sometime within the past year, he began typing parts of his testimony, specifically, 4 distinct times in his life that he felt the Lord’s encounter. As our main contact person for the island and as someone who, through the Lord’s guidance, has done such great things for all of Moose Factory (as well as some communities further north), I highly respect and admire this man. As he walked us through his ‘walk’, I could not help but think that if even before I was born, in one of those circumstances, he chose to go his own way instead of surrender to the Lord; I would not currently be serving in Moose Factory.  What an amazing hope we have in Christ.

            Even though, tonight alone, I’ve cried four separate times, knowing that my time of blessing and growth on the island is coming to a rapid end, I am wholly looking forward to continuing in that hope with the knowledge that wherever I am, the Lord has a perfect plan for my life, for Alaina, for Kristen & Josh, and for this island in His time, according to His will.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Please pray for Darian. Praise God for calling another sheep to the shepherd. Also, pray that an elder will step up to disciple this young boy in his brand new faith so that he is able to walk steadily with the Lord, even through the copious trials he will face as a believer on this island.  
• Please pray for Project George. Pray for planning and preparation. We leave on Thursday, July 19^th. An additional, separate blog post will contain specific project information, as well as a description of the way those 4 days will be used.  
• Please pray for Alaina and myself, as we are faced with the emotions of preparing our hearts and minds to leave this incredible island in 12 days. Please pray specifically that we would be filled with His grace when dealing with the team arriving in one week. Pray that we would be filled with an all-surpassing peace about leaving the people here that we have been able to love unreservedly.